Teuton Brotherhood

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Teuton Brotherhood

The Crimson Cross of the Brotherhood

A Brother Knight of the Teuton Brotherhood

Space Marine Chapter

Founding

3rd Founding

Successor of

Black Templars

Chapter Master

Eldricon Lycurgas

Homeworld

Koein

Fortress

Praes Id Genitor

Allies

Imperial Fists and Black Templars

Size (marines)

~1000

Specialty

Close Quarters Combat, Combating the Forces of Chaos, Swordsmanship/Dueling

Battle cry

Paladin: For the Emperor, Dorn, and the Crusade!

Reply: For the Brotherhood!

Colours

Black, Crimson, and Gold

"Want to know why we archive all we come across brother? So many of our fellow man fight because of necessity and care not for the truths of our Imperium or the Emperor. For he is no god. He was a man, like you and I. But he was the best of all man and, perhaps, the best that man will ever be. We must forever strive to be like him and in that way, we seek to become the perfect man. The only way we can strive for perfection is to understand what is perfection, yet, how can we do that if we live in an Imperium of ignorance? We must study all that we come across when we are not busy fighting, for Astartes in ages past were not only weapons of His will but were scholars, artisans, and philosophers as well. We must take up the torch of our fallen brothers and lead the Imperium to a new Golden Age of Reason and Enlightenment, as our glorious Emperor intended."

—Unknown Teuton Battle Brother

The Teuton Brotherhood is a loyalist Space Marine Chapter that was founded by the Black Templars during the third founding. They are commonly referred to as just The Brotherhood by most Imperial Citizens and their fellow Astartes. They are a strange Chapter in that they are both very secretive but also taking up the torch as teachers of the Imperium. They have an affinity for close combat and assault actions like their gene-fathers and carry out their duties with a near religious fanaticism. Their Chapter Color Scheme is Black, Crimson, and Gold. The Black stands for their mourning for the death of Dorn and the wounding of the Emperor. The Crimson stands for the blood they must shed to defend mankind. The gold stands for the dream of the Emperor and their duty to finish the Great Crusade.

The Chapter is known for never abandoning a campaign once committed. Like their Gene-fathers, the Imperial Fists, they are extremely stubborn and will take gruesome casualties to hold a position or to take one. They are also known for accompanying many Black Templar Crusades and serving as the Assault Troops, making up the bulk of the initial assault upon a given enemy position/vessel.

The Chapter is also obsessed with obtaining knowledge, maintaining a Grand Library that can only be accessed by the Sons of Dorn filled with the books, tomes, scrolls, and fragments they have gathered. They don't discriminate when it comes to what kind of information they gather and will accept all forms of technological, philosophical, scientific, historic, and artistic knowledge. They are willing to share most of this knowledge but there are some pieces of knowledge that they lock up and keep from the Imperium if it is deemed too dangerous should it fall in the wrong hands. Their gene-seed is very stable like their gene-fathers but the phenomenon known as Dorn's Darkness has gripped the Chapter differently than the rest of the Sons of Dorn.

Contents

Notable Campaigns

3rd Black Crusade - In 909.M32, Abaddon launched his 3rd Black Crusade against the Imperium. Astropathic messages were cast across the Imperium, calling for aid on Cadia against the daemonic hordes that were unleashed upon the defenders and the Brotherhood answered. The entirety of the Chapter was led by Grand Master Draigus to relieve the beleaguered defenders of Cadia. Draigus and his Inner Cirlce guardians led the near 800 strong Astartes of the Brotherhood in counter-offensive maneuvers against the forces of Chaos. Fighting alongside other Astartes such as the Space Wolves against these heretics, the Brotherhood made a good showing of themselves. Like their gene-fathers, they showed an affinity for close combat and the Wolves approved of their more direct approach to warfare. Thousands of heretics fell before the blade and bolters of the Brotherhood, the Teutons sustaining a number of their own against the Daemons and traitor Astartes of the enemy. The campaign would prove to be the first major test for the Chapter and with the banishment of the Daemon Tallomin and the defeat of the Chaotic Host, the Brotherhood proved themselves in the eyes of the Wolves and the other Imperial Forces on the planet. They came out bloodied, losing 109 Battle Brothers, but had proven themselves to be a highly effective assault force.

Wrath of the Crimson King - Just 53 years after the 3rd Black Crusade of Abaddon, the Teuton Brotherhood would be beset by more forces of Chaos but not at Cadia. In 962.M32, a Thousand Sons Warband appeared on the fringes of the Teuton System and made full headway towards the planet of Koein. The Imperial Forces in the Void were soundly defeated and the Traitors were able to make planetfall with no hindrance. The War for Koein was long and brutal, the Brotherhood doing their best to harry the attackers in hit and run assaults but did not stem their advance upon the Praes Id Genitor. A brutal siege was laid upon the Brotherhood's Fortress Monastery and the outer defenses would eventually be breached with the psychic power of the Thousand Sons and the fusillade of their artillery and armor. It appeared as though the second wall would also be breached until the largest Knightly Crusade was launched by the Nobility of Koein to aid their 'indirect lords'. The ensuing battle both within and without the fortress would be extremely bloody, costing both sides dearly. Grand Master Draigus and High Templar Delianus were both slain along with the majority of the Battle Brothers on the planet but eventually the Traitors were forced to flee after the overwhelming zeal of the defenders overran their positions. The Traitor Warlord, Ezarias Ahekton, would escape and vowed to return for his prize. The Brotherhood would spend the next couple of decades rebuilding both their numbers and defenses, but also laying the ground for the "Witch Hunter Program".

Hrud Crusade - The Hrud Crusade was called by Grand Master Conrad Kaellen once news of the reemergence of these ancient foes reached the Chapter sometime in M35. Conrad was otherwise engaged in a campaign in the Segmentum Obscurus so he tasked the 4th Crusader Company with aiding their brother chapters in fighting these xenos. Lord Paladin Zakkeria Montaigne led his 182 Battle Brothers into the Halo Stars after defeating a small Ork Waaagh in the Eastern Fringe. The resulting battles against the Hrud were brutal for none of the Astartes appeared to be prepared for the weaponry they possessed and the Brotherhood was no different. The most notable battle that the 4th took part in was the invasion of Ajax Primus wherein the 4th were the spearhead into a city of the Hrud. This battle broke the 4th, the Hrud weaponry and their strange abilities led to ambush after ambush, Astartes being slain in the most gruesome and painful ways possible without glory. The 4th was cut off from their allies and surrounded, forcing the Astartes of the Brotherhood to dig in and fend off wave after wave of Hrud warriors. The Company was forced to abandon the campaign once they were able to break out of the encirclement, leaving behind many of their fallen and armor. Of the 183 Astartes that started the campaign, 61 survived the final battle. These men would never speak of this campaign and the only reason any of this is known to the rest of the Chapter is due to second hand accounts by other Astartes Chapters.

5th Black Crusade - The 6th Crusader Company was called to arms by their erstwhile allies the Warhawks Chapter to combat the forces of Abaddon in 723.M36. Lord Paladin Varis Karhold led his 130 man strong Company to reinforce their allies on Tarinth. As soon as the combined Astartes forces made planetfall Abaddon sprung his trap and thousands of daemons poured into the ranks of the loyalists with the support of the Black Legion. The entirety of the 6th Crusader Company would be slain alongside their allies, their bodies being desecrated in perverse rituals. A single Astartes and a handful of serfs escaped, taking a thunderhawk and departing the system on a strike cruiser. The loss of the 6th would later trigger a Crusade of Vengeance in the following decade with the 5 of the 6 remaining Crusader Companies.

Crusade of Vengeance - Grand Master Xerathon Lycurgas led a crusade into the Eye of Terror to make the traitors pay for what had been done to their brothers and allies. In 731.M36, 728 Astartes traveled into the Eye under the leadership of their Grand Master. Multiple minor strongholds would fall to the hatred of the Chapter, most belonging to small Black Legion warbands. Abaddon would hear of this minor loyalist incursion and called upon one of his lieutenants to deal with the Brotherhood. At this point the Chapter only suffered minor losses and their fleet was still intact and heading for a Black Legion fortress on the outer fringes of the Eye. An all out assault was launched upon the fortress which would prove to be badly timed due to Abaddon's Lieutenant's fleet translating into the system just hours after the majority of the Brotherhood descended upon the planet. The battle in the void was hard fought and concluded in a minor loyalist victory, the traitors fleeing the battle once their flagship had been blown apart. The ground battle had gone in favor of the traitors though, for many of the Black Legion descended upon the planet and were able to pin the Brotherhood against the walls of the fortress. Numerous daemons would also appear and fight against the Brotherhood but the new Witch Hunters would prove fatal for the daemons. Despite their powerful anti-daemon brothers' aid, the Chapter was encircle by no less than 2,000 of the Black Legion, outnumbered 3 to 1. The only reason the majority of the Chapter was not lost was due to the risky orbital bombardment that blew apart the traitor forces that recently landed upon the planet, creating a gap for which the Chapter could fall back through. The extensive usage of heavier marks of armor and the high numbers of heavy battle tanks also proved to be vital, saving many loyalist lives. The remaining battle brothers would retreat back to their ships and departed from the Eye of Terror, satisfied with the casualties they inflicted upon their enemy. After three years of crusading within the Chapter, in 734.M36, 317 Battle Brothers would emerge from the campaign with a tally of just over one thousand Black Legionaries falling to their wrath. It would take close to a century before the Chapter would be able to recoup the entirety of their losses but their oaths of vengeance had been fulfilled and their fallen brothers and allies avenged.

Draigus Crusade M36 -

7th Black Crusade M37 -

1st Steelblood Invasion M38 -

10th Black Crusade M39 -

2nd Steelblood Invasion M39 -

12th Black Crusade M41 -

The Tomb Wars M41 -

Second War for Armageddon M41 -

Third War for Armageddon M41 -

13th Black Crusade M41 -

3rd Steelblood Invasion M41 -

Founding

The Teuton Brotherhood's progenitors were the Black Templars and the Chapter was created during the 3rd Founding. Marshal Draigus was given the honor of becoming the First Chapter Master and used the Black Templar Keep on Koein as the new Fortress Monastery of the new Chapter. The Crusading and knightly traditions formed the basis of the Chapter culture, creating a Chapter that was very similar to the Templars. The Chapter was founded, in part, to help keep vigil over the Eye of Terror and the threats that emerged from the Western Fringes of the Imperium but to also safeguard an artifact that the Black Templars had recovered when facing the traitorous Thousand Sons.

Gene-seed

The Brotherhood is a Black Templar descendant and therefore have all the flaws of their parent Chapter's gene-seed but other than the original deficiencies of the Imperial Fist gene-seed, their own gene-seed is very stable. The only variance is that they suffer from a varied form of "Dorn's Darkness".

The Brotherhood suffer's from "Dorn's Darkness" wherein they relive the moments in which Dorn discovered the lifeless body of Sanguinius and the broken body of the Emperor. Normally, the sons of Dorn who suffer from this feel great sadness and hopelessness but the Brotherhood are taken to another extreme. The Brotherhood calls this state "Dorn's Vengeance" rather than Dorn's Darkness because of this difference. This usually occurs when the Astartes is in the midst of battle and multiple battle brothers have fallen around him. He sees the image of their fallen lord and his angel instead of his brothers. This enrages him to the point of reaching an uncontrollable berserk state. He is filled with a demand for vengeance with complete disregard for his own life and casts aside everything besides his sword. The Astartes, when in this state, is able to withstand wounds that would lay a normal Astartes low but they also do not listen to orders, similar to the Pre-Heresy World Eaters. The Apothecaries do not know why their brothers go into this berserk state but it has cost the Chapter many battle brothers.

This has led to some within the Imperium to distrust the Chapter, for some believe that they are being touched by either Tzeentch or Khorne and are a potential threat to the Imperium.

Combat Doctrine

The Teuton Brotherhood has specialized itself to become masters of close combat and assaulting enemy fortifications. They prefer to fight on foot and do their best to get into melee as soon as possible with their foes. Like their gene-fathers, the Brotherhood do not maintain a Librarium nor do they employ Librarians.

The Chapter makes extensive use of heavy armor alongside their infantry, preferring to fight the enemy head on in glorious frontal assaults and mass drop pod attacks. The favored tactics of the Chapter harken back to the Imperial Fist Legion tactics when prosecuting the Great Crusade and the centuries after. As Astartes, the Brotherhood's simple strategies are brutally effective but cause the Chapter to endure extensive casualties when fighting foes of equal strength, such as many traitor warbands. This has led to the development and adoption of heavier Marks of Power Armor and the uncommon usage of numerous heavy battle tanks to help stem the number of casualties suffered by the Chapter.

These tactics have been received with mixed feelings by their allies, for the Wolves of Fenris and other Chapters that make use of similar tactics admire these cousins of theirs but others such as the Ultramarines and Ravenguard who prefer tactical flexibility detest their cousins' foolhardiness. The Brotherhood has not mastered the precise decapitation strikes or the highly flexible maneuvers of other Chapters but has mastered the art of steady advances, assaults, and defenses on a large scale and thus use these tactics whenever they can.

Armory

The Brotherhood is a melee oriented Chapter. There is no uniform armament for the Brothers, much like the Knights of Koein, they arm themselves according to what they feel they are most proficient at. However, the Chapter considers the Flamer, Bolter, and Blade to be the purest and most honorable weapons to use in combat, making these the most common sight amongst the battle brothers of the Chapter. Plasma weaponry is hardly ever seen due to the fickle nature of the weapon's reliability.

Weapons

Brother Knights (Tactical Marines) prefer to bring a Bolter along with chain weapons. Some will use flamers instead of Bolters but the Brother Knights will never bring Plasma weapons. Brother Knights occasionally do not bring a firearm and bring a Boarding Shield paired with a close combat weapon instead.

Knights-Errant (Veterans) always bring a close combat weapon and bring either Storm Bolters or simple Bolters, or they can instead bring the signature Chain-Halberds of the Chapter with integrated Bolters. In place of firearms, Knights-Errant can bring Combat Shields or Boarding Shields with a melee weapon instead.

Power Armor

Most Brother Knights and Wardens use Modified Mark III Power Armor. This "Teutonic Armor" is even more heavily armored than the already formidable Mark III armor but is slower and restricts the agility of the wearer even more so. They also have plumes upon their helms similar to that of the Noble Houses of Koein, each Company having their own specific color. They give up the strength of their rear armor for more frontal armor and do not mind the slower movement, liking the unique looks of their armor due to their noble backgrounds.

The Brotherhood also likes to add on Warg Pelts, fangs, and other fetishes upon their armor. They also collect the skulls of fearsome enemies they have defeated in battle and adorn their armor with them. This usually means that the Templars of the Cohorts have many skulls adorned on their armor, both xenos and human. The Brotherhood also customize their armor by adding their own house insignias somewhere upon their battle plate or shields. The Brotherhood also uses Devotion Chains like their Gene-Fathers that Black Templars as well as adorning themselves with Chains of Zeal.

Vehicles

The Brotherhood make extensive use of Razorbacks, Predators, Vindicators, and Land Raider Crusaders. This is due to their simple approach to battle, preferring to fight the enemy head on and have their enemies break against their armored onslaught. They avoid the usage of Land Speeders and attack bikes due to their frailty and inability to provide heavy support for the Infantry. These vehicular choices are not very fast but the combat doctrine of the Brotherhood is leading armored spearheads into the enemy lines. They are also magnificent for assaulting enemy fortifications due to their ability to weather most enemy fire and return fire in kind while also providing support and cover for the infantry to get into close quarters.

Weapons of Note

Blade of Reckoning

A Relic Blade from the era of the Horus Heresy that was passed down from the Imperial Fist Chapter to the Black Templars and later to the first Chapter Master of the Teuton Brotherhood. The blade is a power weapon with a golden hilt with an Eagle Headed pommel and the blade has runes written upon both sides of the blade in an Ancient language of an unknown human civilization. This blade has been wielded by every Chapter Master of the Brotherhood and has been used to slay great Ork Warbosses, Necron Lords, and Chaos Champions, capable of piercing the toughest of armor and has broken many enemy weapons that have tried to parry the weapon. Currently the weapon is being wielded by Master Templar Jekaras who is leading troops in the Cadian Sector against Abaddon the Despoiler's Thirteenth Black Crusade.

Ivory Blade of Eldricon

This is a blade forged of a Dessert Fiend's tooth from the planet of Koein that had been slain by the now Chapter Master Eldricon when he was merely a Questing Brother of the Brotherhood. The Blade is an ivory white while the pommel is shaped in the image of a black serpent. The weapon was extremely difficult to create due to bone being more durable than even ceramite. However, once completed, the weapon was a masterpiece that the Techmarines believed they could never recreate. It was a very heavy weapon but extremely well balanced. After a campaign alongside the Space Wolves against a Dark Eldar force, Eldricon had become friends with one of the Rune Priests and in return for saving his life, the Rune Priest inscribed Fenrisian Runes upon the sides of the blade. These runes grant the wielder an increased resistance to psychic powers and also enhances the wielders psychic abilities. Eldricon has used the weapon instead of the traditional Blade of Reckoning and has been able to defeat many foes, most notably the Necron Lord Skethentara of the destroyed Tomb World of Marien. Eldricon is currently wielding the weapon in a defensive campaign against a Steelblood Legion Invasion of the Teuton System.

Talon of Draigus

This lightning claw was the preferred weapon of Chapter Master Draigus who favored this weapon over his previous power sword. This weapon was a relic of the Great Crusade and was wielded by Chapter Masters of the Imperial Fists of an unknown Company which formed into the Black Templars in the 2nd Founding. It is a unique Lighting Claw because it has an integrated storm bolter on the wrist mount and was actually designed to be similar to the Talon of Horus, however it was obviously not nearly as masterful of a weapon as the Talon. This Ancient Weapon is the symbol of the office of Chapter Master in the Brotherhood. The claws are a Crimson Red while the fist and wrist are solid Black. It has a gold trim and has the Chapter cross inscribed behind the Storm Bolter on the wrist.

Fortress Monastery

Praes Id Genitor

The Brotherhood's Fortress Monastery is called the Praes Id Genitor in High Gothic but in low gothic it is The Ancestral Citadel. The Citadel was built into the mountains of Koein, building both on and inside the face of the mountains. The Citadel makes use of the mountain ridge's natural defenses removing a large portion of the mountain leaving a semicircle carved into its side. A huge wall, Peribolus, now stands where the side of the mountain would beeen with Heavy Bolters, Artillery Positions, Towers, Flak guns, Assault cannons and Lascannon Batteries along the ramparts and in the wall itself as defenses with a moat of molten lava separating it from the outer yards. There is only one entrance into the Citadel and that is through the Blood Gate (which is big enough for an Imperial Warhound Titan to stride through), which can only be crossed when the Ceramite Draw Bridge is lowered from the inside. Large statues of heroes of the Chapter and the Imperium adorn the great wall and the Blood Gate, with a pair of large Gargoyles on the sides of the Gate.

Once past the wall, there is a large courtyard around 10,000 square meters which is the Brotherhood's Parade Ground illuminated by only torches and large bonfires. Along the edges of the Parade Ground, there is another wall, Penitulus, hugging the side of the mountain in a semicircle, not as imposing as the Peribolus, but crossing the courtyard though Heavy Bolter fire and Las Cannon Batteries makes getting to the Penitulus a near suicidal task.

Through the Penitulus' gates, there is one long corridor, large enough to let an imperial knight walk through, that leads to hundreds of Chambers, some used for housing the vehicular might of the Chapter, others for armories, sleeping quarters for either Astartes, Chapter Serfs, or Acolytes, training grounds, sparring pits, trophy halls, Templar grounds, shrines, meditation cells, and the Ancestral Tombs. Every Chamber and the Corridors are only illuminated by torch light, and the walls, ceilings, and floors are all built from a mixture of ceramite, plasteel, and concrete. Banners, flags, suits of armor, weapons, and helms decorate the walls of the corridor, either belonging to the Brotherhood or honored allies they have fought alongside whom have earned the Brotherhood's respect.

At the end of the Corridor, there is one large door, guarded by two members of the Inner Circle. This door leads to the Inner Sanctum, the Throne Room of the Grand Master, and is where the Masters of the Chapter meet to discuss future crusades, the state of the Teuton System and Koein, give updates on the Chapter, etc. The Inner Sanctum itself has 3 doors, one on the right side from the entrance which leads to the Hall of the Grand Masters where the tombs of the Chapter Masters are located guarded by 2 of the Inner Circle. To the left of the entrance is the Sanctum of the Inner Circle, the sleeping quarters and armory of the Inner Circle guarded by another 2 of the Inner Circle. Lastly, is the door directly across the entrance, which is the Forbidden Sanctum, guarded by a squad of 5 Inner Circle Members and holds a relic of untold power which only the Masters of the Chapter and the Inner Circle know of.

Chapter Homeworld

Teuton System

The Teuton System is on the very fringes of the Cadian sector and is therefore affected by the warp. The Teuton system has 5 planets; Adule, Marien, Svjold, Koein, and Vera. Adule and Marien are both dead worlds without any moons. Svjold is an agri-world with a population of 1 billion. It has one moon named Port Hjaldmar which has been converted into a trade post/port. Koein is an disunited techno-barbarian feudal Temperate World that has an unknown population of a few 100 millions and has 3 moons, Koein Primus, Koein Secundus, and Koein Tirtius. Koein is the homeworld of the Teuton Brotherhood and is the main recruiting world for the Chapter. Koein also suffers from an infestation of feral orks which the feudal aristocracy continually fights against. Koein Primus has a Teuton Brotherhood battlestation/port encompassing it where the Astartes fleet is docked. Koein Secundus is a port for Civilian usage much like Port Hjaldmar. Koein Tritius is a Mechanicus Outpost formerly under the jurisdiction of the Forge World of Marien, now the seat of the survivors of the Marien Awakening. It is very rich in Ceramite and is now an outpost for observing the destroyed Necron Tombs on Marien. Vera is a Frozen Hive World with a population of 300 billion and 5 main hives. This planet is the homeworld for the Veran Legions and maintains close ties to the Teuton Brotherhood. The rest of the planet is a frozen tundra and the planet has no moons.

Koein

Koein

Koein is the Teuton Brotherhood's homeworld. It is the 4th planet out of five in the Teuton System and it is the largest in the system. It is a Temperate World inhabited by disunited Feudal techno-barbarians. The planet has one large continent with deserts, jungles, forests, mountains, rolling planes, large lakes, and one large and unforgiving ocean. It has a vibrant ecosystem but is quite deadly due to the natural predators as well as xeno incursions/infestations. Koein has been a battleground for the entirety of mankind's existence on it due to the wars waged amongst the humans, against xenos, against the both intelligent and instinctual predators, and chaos.

Koein Natives

The humans living on Koein are descendants of a colonial effort that took place during the dark age of technology. They have regressed to a state of Feudal Techno-Barbarism due to their isolation during the Age of Strife and are now divided into countless warring noble factions. Each faction is ruled by an aristocracy of knightly nobles who wear a combination of primitive plate/chain armor while the "elites" wearing ancient power armor and use crude solid-slug ranged weaponry and well as melee weapons that the knightly orders of Ancient Terra would wield, very rarely will crude chain weapons be seen in the armories of the nobles as well. The nobility are tasked with fighting the wars and defending the peasantry, in return, they are given leave to rule. The majority of the human natives live in or around castles of stone and woodwork or in villages/towns surrounded by large walls, where they make a living from agriculture, smithing, carpentry, mining, harvesting wood, and the limited trade between the different human settlements.

Other Side of Koein

Human Culture on Koein

The Humans on Koein live a Feudal lifestyle. They are a divided people ruled by many noble families, where war is the natural state. They are in constant battle against the Feral Orkz of the planets, the warp mutated predators, and each other. The planet is extremely dangerous to live on and most human settlements are fairly large but isolated, making trade or carving out a "nation" very difficult with the exception of few villages or towns being made by colonists from these larger settlements by the order of the Prince/Duke.

Nobility

This has led to life similar to that of the Feudal Age of Terra, the Nobles are the Warriors of society and have the best weapons and armor available in the Fortress'/Castle's/Town's/Village's arsenal. Only rarely are the peasants levied into service, and this is usually only done when an Ork Waaagh! has started, the emergence of a xeno threat, or the arising predator infestation nearby. The nobles, depending on where their settlement is on the planet, ride different types of mounts into battle. Many ride the Warhorses found and bred on Koein into battle, armed in heavy plate and chain armor or even the rare power armor from the Dark Age of Technology. However, some houses prefer to fight on foot. The knights usually are armed with swords, but some Noble houses prefer axes, maces, or even spears. There is no real uniformity, even amongst the knights from the same house, but household tradition tends to lead to many of the household following a similar martial tradition.

The Nobles tend to to be very good warriors, but when they are at peace with the neighboring human settlements and there is no ork threat, the Knights tend to take on quests. These Quests usually involve going north to hunt Scorpions but also sometimes a very brave knight or group of knights try to take on a Fiend. Many knights have fallen during these quests but those who do succeed are praised as heroes and usually end up becoming part of the Household leadership. Some quests may not be slaying on of these beasts but also challenging an Ork Chieftan or Champions of other noble houses to personal combat. Most diplomacy between Orkz and humans is impossible, but these duels have become common and the orkz respect this tradition. This not only gives the Chieftan some sport but also determines whether he is worthy or not of being Chieftan in the first place. The results of these duels varies greatly but has formed into a tradition for the Noble Houses. Dueling is now one of the most sacred of traditions and is how most disputes, that cannot be settled peacefully, are decided.

Monastic Knights

The Knights are also tasked with guarding against the demons that emerge from "The Great Storm" (Eye of Terror). There are an abundance of psykers found on the planet due to the proximity to the Eye and many possessions occur. The Aristocracy of the planet initially tried to purge all psykers from the populations but they just kept popping up and causing rebellions amongst the peasantry. So, to counter-act this problem, the Nobles have created specialist orders to fight these "sorcerers".

These Monastic Knights are given small keeps and have many noble patrons, fielding small but powerful armies that are meant to fight against the evils that plague the planet and its people. They are armed and armored with blessed weapons and pattle plate, having runes etched into both and wearing parchments with prayers to ward off daemons.

They call themselves Templars and are contracted by different Noble Houses to patrol the different settlements. These men hunt down "sorcerers" within the villages and castles of the human populations but also investigate daemonic presences throughout the planet. They also are the warriors tasked to deal with Ork Weirdboyz and fight alongside their aristocratic brothers against the greenskins.

The Teuton Brotherhood only recruits from the Nobility of Koein and have adopted the Questing and Dueling Traditions into their own. The Brotherhood also recruits many young men from these monastic orders, for they are the perfect specimens for new Astartes.

Crusades

These Templar Orders also have the right to declare Crusades to either counter an Ork Waaagh!, cleanse a predator infestation, or destroy a xenos threat. These Crusades are usually led by a Monastic Order, for only these Monastic Orders can call for Crusades. Knights from the different Noble Houses in the area answer the call and fight under the Red Crossed Banner (the universal symbol of a Crusade on the planet). This is the one and only time that multiple houses will forget about past grievances and fight alongside one another, but none of the noble houses are obliged to answer the call. Many houses are usually busy with their own problems and perhaps send a small host of knights and militiamen if they send anything at all. Other houses are very dedicated to these callings and end up sending most of their knights to fight in this Crusade along with many of the peasantry who have been given arms and armor to fight. Many other Templar Orders also answer the call and it is usually the Templars that make up the majority of the knights within the host. These Crusades are not common and usually only are called when a Great Doom approaches.

Peasantry

The peasantry live destitute and fearful lives. They view their overlords as saviors from the horrors that await in the dangerous world outside of their settlements and will do all they ask. Only a few peasants live half-way decent lives and those are usually the smiths, engineers, or traders within the settlement. The rest of the peasantry are serfs, farmers, lumberjacks, hunters, breeders, carpenters, miners, masons, butchers, tanners, tailors, cobblers, and militiamen. Living within the fortress' or towns/villages of the Noble Houses provides the most safety but the least opportunity for making a decent living. They must pay high taxes to the nobility so that they can maintain their arsenal for the eternal wars of the planet. Most peasants don't care for the politics of the nobility, they only care for the survival of their families and are more than willing to die alongside their masters in defense of their homes.

There are some Free Towns that have either rebelled from Noble ownership or have had their original overlords defeated and must try and survive on their own and usually make a decent living from trade. Since these towns do not have their own Knights to protect them, they must raise a fighting force of levies who can fight off the various threats around the planet. They can get protection from Templars but not for long, unless they want to become the serfs of that order. So, they do their best to survive on their own. Smiths and Engineers are in high demand in these Towns for making decent weapons and armor is absolutely necessary for that Town's survival and if the engineers can make firearms for the militia, the town has an even better chance at survival. However, not only Orkz and predators will come knocking at the gates, many Noble Houses will seek to subjugate the various towns because towns tend to have the best industries when it comes to craftsmen. They are also usually located in resource rich areas, whereas, the castles and fortresses of knights are located in defensible positions. This has led to the development of the oldest and most venerable towns being able to play on the inter-noble conflicts quite well. They use the rivalries of the noble houses to their advantage, preserving their independence while the nobles fight amongst themselves. More than once has it occurred that free towns and cities have caused large scale wars between various factions for its own survival.

Teuton Brother using Mark 7 Power Armor

Chapter Culture

The Chapter has adopted multiple traditions from the people of Koein. They have adopted Dueling, Questing, Templars, love for close combat, keeping trophies, and the usage of serfs over servitors. Duels are the most common way in which disputes are settled within the Chapter. The Chapter also hosts duels with other Chapters whenever they come to Koein or when they meet with them at their own Fortress Monasteries or Battle Barges as a test of skill and a growth of camaraderie. Dueling is also very important during battles, for if any leader of the Brotherhood sees an enemy leader or champion, he is honor-bound to challenge him/her to a duel to the death.

This idea of Questing is also a large part of the Culture of the Brotherhood. Acolytes and even fully developed Astartes are constantly hunting predators of their homeworld to add to their trophy collections. The Brotherhood also maintains long hair, unlike most other Chapters, due to the Nobility of Koein traditionally keeping their hair long and well groomed. Topknots are a very common sight as well when they are not wearing their helms due to being the traditional style of the nobility.

The Brotherhood also keep Chapter Keeps upon worlds they believe to hold key strategic positions in the Imperium. Within the Teuton System, they maintain Chapter Keeps on Svjold and Vera. They also have Chapter Keeps upon other worlds around the Eye of Terror in which they keep small garrisons to be on the lookout for any Chaos excursions and ensure the purity of the Imperial Citizens of that world. The Brotherhood, like the nobility of Koein, collect taxes from the planets they have Chapter Keeps on. This usually involves food, Ceramite, serfs, and being given leave to train the PDF of the planets, or at least train specialized PDF divisions.

Chapter Organization

The Teuton Brotherhood is a non-Codex compliant Chapter and have many differences from the standard Space Marine Chapter.

Ranks within the Chapter

Chapter Leadership:

Grand Master

Master of Crusades (Lord Marshal) - Second in Command

Master of the Templar (Master Templar) - Chaplain

Master of the Apothecarion (Master Apothecary)

Master of of the Forge (Forge Lord)

Master of the Inner Circle (Captain General)

Line Ranks - Equivalent:

Lord Paladin - Captain

Witch Hunter - Veteran Chaplain

Brother Templar - Lesser Chaplain

Knight-Errant - Veteran

Brother Knight - Tactical Marine/Assault Marine

Warden - Devastator Marine

Questing Brother - Initiate

Crusader Companies

The Brotherhood maintains no concrete Companies, just as their gene-fathers the Black Templars. Rather, they organize into mobile crusading forces, like the Black Templars do. However, due to not being an entirely crusading Chapter, the Brotherhood must maintain forces within the Teuton System at all times to defend the Chapter World and the Monastery.

Crusader Companies or Brotherhoods - The most concrete form of "organization" in the Brotherhood are the Crusader Companies, styled after the Black Templars' Fighting Companies. These hosts can vary in size anywhere from 50 Astartes to the hundreds in number, depending on the circumstances of the period and how fate has treated the Brotherhood. Crusader Companies are formed by Astartes who trace lineages from either the same noble families or of not too distant kin from the aristocracy of Koein. This means that there are a number of Companies that are larger while some are smaller due to the larger and more prestigious noble families having better bred and trained warriors than those of the smaller houses. This has led to a close kinship within the respective Companies and has created a healthy rivalry between various Brotherhoods, driving them onward to exceed their Battle Brothers in glory and victories. There are a total of 7 Crusader Companies, most fighting in theaters on their own but on occasion two or more Companies will join together and prosecute a Crusade together when ordered to by their Grand Master.

Despite their ability to do as the Black Templars and exceed the allotted number of Battle Brothers within the Chapter, the Brotherhood strictly adheres to maintaining a maximum of 1,000 active Battle Brothers, not including officers and the Inner Circle.

Special Ranks/Descriptions

Grand Master

Member of the Inner Circle

The Chapter Master of the Brotherhood has adopted the title of Grand Master over the history of the Chapter. Wherever the Grand Master goes, he is always accompanied by his Inner Circle who defend him with a minimum of 5 guards. The Grand Master always accompanies his noble family's Crusader Host and so there is not one Company that is always blessed with the Grand Master's presence, rather it changes over the millennia just as the Grand Masters change.

It is customary for the Grand Master to be armored in the Chapter's Golden Cataphractii Terminator Armor with a Crimson trim and wield the Ancient Lightning Claw of Teuton, which has an integrated bolter, in his right hand along with the Blade of Reckoning (a Relic Blade gifted to the Chapter by the Black Templars) in his left.

Inner Circle

The Inner Circle are the elite of the Teuton Brotherhood. They guard the Grand Master at all times as well as guarding the sacred vaults deep within the Fortress Monastery. These Brothers are the finest warriors the Chapter has to offer and are used sparingly and only in the most dire of situations. They have their own unique combat cant, derived from an ancient Koein language that is now dead, only living on through its usage by the Inner Circle. The Inner Circle are not mute but avoid speaking when it is not necessary. They hardly talk to their Battle Brothers except during battle or when it is required of them because of the task they have at hand. They share a different bond between themselves from their other brothers, not one of kinship or noble lineage, but rather the burden of their charge and their devotion to its safekeeping.

The Chapter Master leading his Inner Circle can change the tide of battle in an instant as these formidable warriors cut through the enemy ranks as wheat falls before the scythe. However, only a handful are ever deployed, for they must keep eternal vigil over the Forbidden Sanctum, therefore only a handful are every seen in battle at one time except when the Praes Id Genitor in under assault. Their true numbers are unknown to all except the Grand Master himself. Each member of the Inner Circle is armored in the various patterns of Terminator Armor, Cataphractii being the most commonly seen armor variant, painted pitch black with a crimson trim and wield Chain Halberds with integrated bolters or Power Weapons and specialist firearms.

Lord Marshal

The Lord Marshal is the right hand of the Grand Master, he is the Grand Master's chosen successor and his second in command. Usually, when the Grand Master is leading a Crusade, the Lord Marshal is given the duty of overseeing the Chapter for his lord so that the Grand Master may fully devote himself to the campaign he is prosecuting. The Lord Marshal is a Lord Paladin, chosen by the Grand Master, who has been singled out for leadership and has been given the approval, either grudgingly or not, of the Witch Hunters and the other Masters of the Chapter. The Astartes who is chosen as Lord Marshal is also tasked with leading any other Crusades that require a commander to lead multiple Crusader Companies when the Grand Master is otherwise engaged. When both the Grand Master and Lord Marshal are leading the Chapter's Battle Brothers, the Captain General of the Inner Circle will assume the mantle of leadership of the Chapter along with his duties of safekeeping the Fortress Monastery.

Lord Paladin

The Lord Paladin is the Chapter's equivalent of Company Captain. These Astartes are the most strategically gifted and one of the best warriors in their Crusader Company. Lord Paladins traditionally wield Power Mauls, Thunder Hammers, or Power Axes, these weapons being symbols of prestige compared to the highly common Power Swords of the Knights-Errant. They are armored in blessed Artificer Armor, tailored to the specific wearer's own liking by the Tech Lords of the Chapter. Their own personally chosen coat of arms is painted upon their right pauldron whereas the Crusader Company's insignia is on their left, with the Chapter Iconography being sported on all other fabric and pieces of battle plate. These men are the highest ranking warriors of the Chapter besides the various Masters and Grand Master of the Chapter. They hold ultimate authority over the Crusade they are prosecuting and only ever give up their command when they must work in unison with another or multiple Crusader Companies and either the Master Templar, Lord Marshal, or Grand Master come the lead the host.

Knights-Errant

Knights-Errant are the veterans of the Brotherhood. They are the finest swordsmen and marksmen of the Brotherhood and have access to the higher quality equipment than the Brother Knights of the Chapter. This means that Knights-Errant will usually be seen wielding Power Weapons and armored in the Marks III and IV Power Armor, the ancient sets of armor preserved by the Chapter. Knights-Errant are the tip of the Spear in most engagements, fighting where ever the fighting is thickest. These Astartes usually accompany their Lord Paladin and are given the most difficult and important missions during a conflict when not acting as their Paladin's Honor-guard.

Brother Knights

The Brotherhood maintain no dedicated Assault Marine Squads. This is due to the fact that the Brother Knights fulfill the role of both Tactical and Assault Marines. Each Brother Knight arms himself as he wishes and all are adept at both ranged and melee combat. These Astartes are the bulk of the various crusading forces and most commonly wearing the Teutonic Armor due to being the shield on which the enemy will break against.

Questing Brothers

The Brotherhood does not maintain any scout companies or squads. The entirety of the Chapter are fully developed Astartes and their newest Astartes, called Questing Brothers, take on the role of being a support squad(s). Their role on the battlefield is to support the Warden Squads and provide close range support to these special weapons teams. They are armored in Mark 7 Power Armor due to their role not leading them to the close quarters combat of the Brother-Knights. They use Bolters, combat knives, and occasionally flamers.

Acolytes

Acolytes are fully trained recruits of the Brotherhood that have completed their quests and have received most of their Astartes implantations. They are the equivalent of Space Marine scouts but they are kept on Koein, training under the Master Templar and Master Apothecary. They are never deployed alongside the Brotherhood due to the Brotherhood not having a Scout Company or maintaining any scout squads. Their role is to keep the feral Ork populations on Koein in check and replenish the ranks of fallen Brothers by ascending into the ranks of the Questing Brother squads when they are needed. (More details in Recruitment)

Chaplains, Witch Hunters, and Templars

The Teuton Brotherhood is just as fanatical in their pursuit of the Eternal Crusade just as their Black Templar fathers, however, they do not believe the Emperor to be a god. Similar to their gene-fathers, the Teuton Brotherhood maintain no Librarium but have, instead, expanded the number and roles of the Chaplains. After a series of campaigns against roaming chaos warbands during the 1st Black Crusade, the Teuton Brotherhood realized that without Librarians, they were at a major disadvantage against Traitor Astartes and their demonic allies and so Grand Master Iachton saw fit to reorganize the role of Chaplain to combat such threats.

Templars

Templar is the new title of the Chaplains within the Teuton Brotherhood and have had the roles of record keeper, champion, and chaplain combined into one. No solid number of Templars are deisgnated by the Chapter and the number within their ranks depends on the number of Astartes deemed worthy of the honor and the necessity of the Chapter. Usually there are at least 20 Chaplains within the Chapter, sometimes more others times less, and this number of Chaplains has been deemed necessary by the Chapter due to the need to preserve the vast amounts of knowledge the Chapter records along with ensuring that there is never a sliver of doubt or lost faith within the ranks of the Brotherhood. Only the most veteran of the Chapter's Astartes can become Templars and these men would need to be of the highest moral and spiritual fiber to even be considered for the role.

Witch Hunters

Witch Hunters are the most dreaded foes of heretics within the Teuton Brotherhood. These Astartes have dedicated the remainder of their lives to the study and eventual destruction of all daemons and witches that face the Brotherhood. There are only 3 Witch Hunters active at one time in the Chapter and they are even more feared the the legendary Inner Circle. Clad in custom forged suites of power armor and wielding the weapons specialized in vanquishing foes that either emerge from the warp or draw power from the madness. Their ranks are drawn from the most devout and veteran of the Templars, making them the oldest and most experienced men of the Chapter and in many cases are older than the Chapter Masters and Inner Circle both.

Witch Hunters do not take on the roles of the Templar but dedicate every fiber of their being to understanding and destroying daemons. Being on the fringes of the Eye of Terror with the eternal threat of incursion, these Astartes wield the greatest weapons and armor that the Chapter can forge. Like the Monastic Knights of Koein, the Witch Hunters adorn their armor in runes and wards, along with blessing them with anti-daemonic rituals that the Chapter has discovered over the millennia. Usually wielding blessed blades and purifying flamers, these Astartes are the Chapter's answer to the Eternal Enemy's greatest minions.

Recruitment

The Teuton Brotherhood recruits from the Feudal World of Koein. They hand pick the greatest warriors as well as leaders they believe they can mold to the needs of the chapter. However, since the Chapter maintains a distant relationship with the disunited warring factions of Koein, they send their Questing Brothers to collect the potential Acolytes and bring them back to the Monastery. After the acquisition of the potential Acolytes, they would be brought to the training grounds within the Chapter Monastery and each would be giving instruction by the Master Apothecary.

The Master Apothecary would pit the recruits in blood duels, testing their martial prowess and strength. Little more than half of the recruits survive the first rounds. By the end of the blood duels, only a handful or recruits are left standing, the best warriors amongst the aspirants.

The Master Apothecary, along with the Master Templar would make the recruits undergo many forms of mental and physical torture and conditioning, to test their fortitude. Many recruits fail and a good number die due to being too weak willed to endure. For, the Teuton Brotherhood does not only care about if the recruit is the strongest, fastest, or the best warrior in his group, they also care about who has the strength of will to fight on when all hope seems lost, determination to dedicate their lives to the Chapter and the Imperium, and loyalty to their new brothers and Chapter.

The Master Apothecary would teach the recruits about the history of the Imperium and the Chapter, also teaching them the combat doctrine and ways of the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood seeks these qualities within their recruits because they believe anyone can be turned into a soldier and be good at it, but only a few can be molded into an instrument of the Emperor and bring hope and enlightenment to those under their charge.

After a long period of training, both physically and mentally, the recruits must go on a quest and hunt a warg with but a combat knife and later a scorpion using only a combat knife and a bolt pistol with one magazine. This results in many deaths of recruits, leaving only those who are cunning and strong enough to take on these ferocious predators. Successfully slaying a Warg starts the implantation process and slaying a Scorpion is the final trial of an Aspirant. After the completion of their quests, the recruits are given the title of Acolyte and are ready to have the Black Carapace implemented in their body.

Acolytes are fully trained recruits who have survived all the training and Astartes implantations. They are withheld the final implantations of the black carapace. They are not assigned to any Cohorts because the Brotherhood only fields full fledged Astartes and only when a Brother of the Chapter falls in battle does an Acolyte rise up and take his place as a Questing Brother. The rest of the Acolytes are left in the Fortress Monastery of Koein, they are the equivalent of Space Marine Scouts but are never deployed in battle. They are the planet's "PDF". The exact number of Acolytes is unknown but there are a few hundred who keep the feral orkz of Koein in check. The Chapter maintains this number of Acolytes in case of dire situations where the Brotherhood experiences horrendous losses that need to be replaced immediately to maintain the Brotherhood's combat effectiveness. More than once has the Brotherhood lost hundreds of Brothers and needed to initiate all the Acolytes stationed on Koein to replenish their ranks.

Chapter History*

Wrath of the Crimson King - Just 53 years after the 3rd Black Crusade of Abaddon, the Teuton Brotherhood would be beset by more forces of Chaos but not at Cadia. In 962.M32, a Thousand Sons Warband appeared on the fringes of the Teuton System and made full headway towards the planet of Koein. The Warband was quite large, but mostly consisting of cultists and slaves, only a handful of Rubric Marines and Sorcerers were present leading the force but multiple Crusader Companies were away from the System prosecuting minor campaigns. Only the 3rd, 6th, and 7th Crusader Companies were present along with the Inner Circle, Chapter Master Draigus, and Master Templar Delianus and 6 of his disciples. The Mechanicum and Imperial Navy assets were beaten back in the void, while the two Strike Cruisers were forced to abandon the planet. The Sons of Magnus decended upon Koein and launched an all out assault upon the Praes Id Genitor. Bolters, artillery, and heavy weapons roared, tearing large swathes of the assaulting forces apart before they could reach the molten moat. For days, the cultists would attack, retreat, and attack again with heavy weapons and armor slowly building in numbers with every attack. On the 9th day, with tens of thousands of bodies rotting outside of the fortress, the first signs of the Rubric Marines and their Sorcerer Masters were seen with dozens of heavy vehicles. The Brotherhood should have been able to fend off even these foes but the Sorcerers unleashed their powers upon the defenders, bolts of chaotic energy, lighting, balls of fire, and many other power assailed the Brotherhood, forcing them out of many of their positions. The Sorcerers then used their powers to control weakwilled serfs along the wall and lowered the drawbridge, allowing for thousands of screaming cultists and their Astartes masters through. They were met by a second wall of weapons and defenses but using the same tactic as before, the traitors began to silence the weapons of the Penitulus. However, before the traitos could breach the second gate, war horns and battle cries could be heard in the distance, even during the furious exchange. Thousands of suits of shining armor were seen charging into the rear of the cultists ranks, a Crusade had been called by the nobility of Koein and this was by far the largest in the planet's history. Like the ancient tales from Terra, the nobles in their resplendent armor and fabric cut through the unsuspecting cultists ranks from the Great Forest of Koein. A brutal melee took place outside the walls of the Praes Id Genitor, the cultists and knights paying dearly for any ground they gained and the Brotherhood themselves would sally out and meet their foes head on like their people. Draigus and 291 Battle Brothers sallied from their defensive positions, Land Raiders and Rhinos providing support, and fought their enemies within the Parade Ground. A sea of black and crimson would clash against a wave of bloody flesh, blue and gold, warriors falling on both sides during the charge before the clash of blades began. Draigus would challenge the enemy warlord, Ezarias Ahekton, to single combat and so the two war leaders' blades clashed as the bloody battle around them carried on. Within the first few exchanges, Darigus knew that Ezarias was clearly a much better swordsman but Draigus' Talon was able to catch the Sorcerer's blade after the Thousand Sons' overzealous stab left it exposed for a second too long. Before Draigus could bring his blade to bear, Ezarias unleashed a powerful wave of psychic lightning upon the Grand Master, Draigus cried out in pain and tried to fight the power of the sorcerer but Ezarias forced him to his knees and let the Traitor's blade slip from his grasp. The Traitor raised his sword with both hands in preparation to cleave the Grand Master in two. Ezarias was wearing his helm but Draigus knew he was smiling but was too weak to move, the blade would cut from Draigus' collarbone to his hip, his body falling in two before Ezarias who let out a chilling laugh before being hit by multiple bolter rounds in his shoulder. Ezarias realized that his Rubric marines were losing quite handily and that his sorcerers were being overwhelmed by the numbers of the Brotherhood and so he ordered a retreat. The Brotherhood would not give chase, their numbers too few to risk leaving their fortress and the knights would only give chase to the cultists, leaving the traitor Astartes to flee in peace. The Brotherhood suffered close to 70% casualties; of the 368 Battle Brothers that began the war, 247 were slain, both High Templar Delianus and Grand Master Draigus were slain, of the 41 Inner Circle that fought; 32 were slain, their bodies littered around Draigus', and the nobles suffered grievously against the traitors once their armor turned around and fired into their ranks. Ezarias did not gain what he had come for, but gained valuable information about the Praes Id Genitor and the tactics of the Teuton Brotherhood. He would escape with most of his cabal, but every cultist that had come down in the invasion had been slain either during the battle or the hunt prosecuted by the knights afterwards. High Captain Dorian would present the leader of the Knightly Crusade with one of the sacred banners of the Brotherhood and gave a speech in thanks to the knights who came to their aid. The Brotherhood would have to lick its wounds and spend decades repairing the damage done to their fortress, but this campaign would begin the Witch Hunter "Program" for both the 3rd Black Crusade and this war proved that they needed some kind of repsonse against the powers of the Warp and so emissaries were dispatched to both the Black Templars and the Space Wolves for aid in creating a way to effectively fight this sorcery.

Age of Apostasy - Draigus Crusade

The Brotherhood were called upon by both the Imperial Fists and the Black Templars to aid in overthrowing the heretic Goge Vandire. Sending 6 full Cohorts led by Chapter Master Hjoldmar and a vast portion of their fleet, they were thrown off course and when they came out of the warp they encountered a heretic controlled system. During the civil war, this system, called the Draigus System, decided that it would secede from the Imperium. The heretic leader convinced 7 of the 8 planetary governors to join him but one planet remained loyal, Barast, along with the Imperial Guard Regiments stationed on the planet. The Brotherhood engaged the rebel fleets and utterly destroyed them, leaving each rebel planet isolated and unable to support one another. Each Cohort led a planetary invasion quickly bringing 6 of the 7 rebel held planets to their knees.

After sustaining minimal casualties in the few months it took to take the planets, a mass invasion of the capitol planet of the system, Gertek, went into full swing. However, this planet was a Hive World with dozens of traitor regiments with heavy artillery support and millions of PDF troops that heavily fortified the planet during the invasions of the other 6 planets. A mass bombardment of the planet was not done due to the industrial importance of the planet to the rest of the system and Chapter Master Hjoldmar decided a planetary invasion with 3 cohorts assaulting the Capitol and the rest supporting the Loyalist regiments would be undertaken. Thousands of Flak guns and rebel aircraft lit the sky on fire as the Brotherhood's Drop Pods and the loyalist Guard Regiment made planet fall. Imperial Fighters fought for aerial supremacy alongside the Brotherood's Thunderhawks and many heroes died in the opening stages of the invasion. Trench Warfare and Urban fighting was brutal, with the rebels making the Loyalists fight tooth and nail for every block. The Brotherhood slaughtered the rebels anytime they were able to get within melee but it was the heavy and precise artillery bombardments that took a toll of the Brotherhood. In many cases, as the Astartes closed in, rebel commanders would order barrage after barrage onto their own ranks to take out as many of the Brotherhood as they could. It took the Brotherhood and the loyalist regiments 2 years to finally break the defenses. The Regiments took horrendous losses, around 70% were dead or wounded and the Brotherhood lost around half of their Battle Brothers and much of their heavy armor.

The Imperial Guard Regiments of Barast earned the respect of the Brotherhood during that campaign, fighting alongside the Astartes against overwhelming enemy numbers and fighting heroically to secure their Capitol. To honor their newfound brothers in arms, Chapter Master Hjoldmar decided to erect a Chapter Keep on Barast and maintain a small garrison of Battle Brothers and Chapter Serfs. The 17th, 19th, 34th, 35th, 36th, and 51st Barastine Regiments all added the Teuton Cross onto their banners in remembrance of this Crusade. By the end of the Draigus Crusade, Goge Vandire had been killed and the Imperium was now finishing off the rest of the rebels so as to deal with the new xenos threats on the borders.

Praesidium Crusade

M36.783, a Gargantuan Space Hulk entered the Teuton System. At this time, the majority of the Brotherhood's fleet and 7 cohorts were out on minor crusades leaving 1 battle barge and 2 strike cruisers and 3 cohorts on Koein, the 1st, 8th, and 9th. The 8th and 9th Cohorts were led by Chapter Master Hjoldmar to explore the craft and cleanse it of any potential threats. However, once the 3 vessels moved closer to the space hulk, the ancient vessel's weapons opened fire, causing grievous damage to all three vessels before they could either retaliate or even evade. As the vessels floated in space, crippled, hundreds of boarding craft erupted from the hangers of the gargantuan vessel and a vox broadcast was sent out across the system. "I'm da new boss in dis here space, me, Warboss Gizguts Yellowtoof. Me and me boyz is gunna bring da pain and build me a new empiah after we finish dis here Waaagh!!!" Gizguts led his orkz of the Blackskull Tribes from planets on the outer fringes of the galaxy to the Teuton System by making a blind jump through the warp after his weirdboyz fixed up a badly damaged ancient Emperor Class Battleship that had fused with various other vessels during its time in the warp from the Great Crusade that were designated lost in the warp.

While the 8th and 9th cohorts were fighting to survive the onslaught of Greenskins boarding their vessels, the 1st Cohort called for aid from all Imperial forces near the Teuton System. The Space Hulk, now referred to by the Brotherhood as The Taedius, slowly moved towards Marien. Gizguts knew that taking a Forgeworld would be extremely beneficial to his Waaagh and made due haste to secure the planet. A small contingent of Mechanicum vessels and a few cruisers raised on Vera by the planetary governor prepared for a fight they knew they could not win, but decideded they needed to give Imperial Forces time to entrench on Marien for the incoming attack. After a heroic fight in the void, the last Imperial Vessel was destroyed and the planetary invasion began. Roks and looted drop pods filled the sky as Ork bombas, fightas, and transportas followed. The Imperial forces estimated that the initial drop contained some 1 million Orks and the following waves contained almost 20 million in total. To fend off this attack, there was 1 Skitarii Legion, 1 small Titan Legion, 1 Cohort of the Brotherhood, and 4 Veran Legions. As the Orks dropped from space and entered the atmosphere, Imperial aircraft and flak guns opened fire. Scores of Ork Roks and Looted Pods were destroyed but more just kept coming. Eventually the Orks gained air superiority and started to form "drop zones" for their reinforcements to come down safely. These orks of the Blackskull Tribes were far more advanced than normal orks in both tactics and tech. The had many "Ard Bandz" which were essentially heavily armored orks and many nobz that used crude chain and power weapons. They also fielded the "Gizgutz' Boyz", the hand picked Nobz of Gizguts wearing crude power armor, that led the assault on Imperial positions.

Gizguts was a tactical genius for an Ork, he appointed "Little Bosses" as generals to lead their own parts of the invasion while he led the main thrust. He was able to outmaneuver many imperial forces, cutting them off and eventually overwhelming them. The Battle of Marien was dire, Imperial forces were being crushed, as the "Ard Bands" were even a challenge for the Brotherhood to deal with and Gizguts Boyz were cutting through their positions like a hot knife through butter. Within a month of fighting on the planet, almost 25% of the planet was in Greenskin hands and after a year, 90% of the planet was lost to the Greenskins. It was in the Great Forges of Marien that the Imperial Forces were making their last stand and made the Greenskins pay dearly for every inch. It was at this point, reinforcements arrived in the form of the 3rd, 4th, and 10th Cohorts of the Brotherhood along with 20 Barastine Regiments and a large armada of around 20 vessels, Mechanicum, Imperial Navy, and the Brotherhood's, which had arrived in the Teuton System. Gizguts knew that if he lost the void, he would be trapped on Marien and eventually be overwhelmed, so he took many of his boyz with him, leaving his Little Bosses to deal with the rest of the Imperials on the planet. While the Taedius engaged the majority of the Imperial Fleet, the 3rd Cohort and all the Barastine regiments were dropped onto Marien to relieve the Imperial Forces on the planet. Somehow, Grand Master Hjoldmar and a few of the Battle Brothers of the 8th and 9th Cohorts survived the onslaught of Orks onto their vessels and were picked up from their crippled ships. Now Grand Master Hjoldmar directed the battles in both the Void and the Planet.

The Battle in the void was hard fought on both sides. The Gargantuan Taedius was able to weather enormous amounts of damage and deal out more but it was a single ship and was fighting multiple vessels of experienced Imperial commanders. The 4th and 10th Cohorts were spread throughout the fleet to help every vessel repel Greenskin boarding parties by order of Hjoldmar and the battle in the void took weeks to conclude. By the end of the battle, the Taedius was nearly destroyed and many orks began to abandon ship and make way to Marien to join their fellow Tribesmen in ground combat while Gizgutz and his bodyguards teleported onto Hjoldmar's Flagship in one last gambit to kill the Imperial leader, take the flagship, and escape to live another day. At this point only a handful of his bodyguard were still alive but it would have been enough to take an Imperial Cruiser any day, except when there were Astartes on board. Vicious fighting took place as Hjoldmar, the Inner Circle, and some surviving battle brothers of the 8th and 9th cohorts fought the Greenskins. Gizguts was in a rage, his giant form and power claws crushed Inner Circle members just as easily as normal Battle brothers, carving his way to Hjoldmar who was dealing with some Nobs on his own. It would be Grand Templar Ephieltas that would hold Gizguts long enough for Hjoldmar to kill the Nobs assaulting him and turn to face the Warboss. By the time Hjoldmar turned to aid his friend, Ephieltas' dying scream pierced the deck as Gizguts tore him in two with a laugh. Every member of the Brotherhood fought harder after they saw their Grand Templar killed, some letting Dorn's Darkness take over and the Psykers unleashing powerful attacks that obliterated Nobs where they stood. Hjoldmar had let Dorn's Darkness take him and he fought with a fury that he had never fought with before, attacking the Ork nonstop. Eventually the Ork tired and he cut off Gizguts' right arm with his sword and impaled him his Power Claw. He then proceeded to unleash shell after shell of Storm bolter rounds from his claw into the chest of the ork until nothing was left of his upper body but blood and pieces of flesh.

After the victory in the void, the remainder of the Brotherhood in the fleet joined their brothers on Marien, pushing the orks back. It would take a decade of brutal trench and urban warfare to finally eliminate the orks from Marien and the Brotherhood was down to half strength by the end of the campaign. However, the acolytes of the Brotherhood were raised to astartes and instead of being at half strength, the Brotherhood had around 800 Astartes within a few years after the Crusade was finished. This campaign solidified the alliances between the Brotherhood, Veran Legions, Mechanicum, and Barastine Regiments and would see that many crusades and campaigns would be fought alongside these forces of the Imperium.